Mansarovar Yatra: Pilgrims accuse China of not allowing them to take holy dip

Devotees at Kailash Mansarovar on Monday have alleged that Chinese authorities are not allowing them to take holy dip in the Mansarovar Lake.

The allegations come some 20 days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had announced that the Nathu La pass has been reopened for the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

China had shut down the Nathu La pass in Sikkim and denied entry to the Kailash Mansoravar (located in Tibet) pilgrims last year due to the 73-day-long standoff in Doklam between troops of India and China at the border on account of security reasons.

The four-month travel period of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra starts in June. Thousands of Indian pilgrims take part in the Yatra every year via Nepal in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China ahead of the monsoon season.

Kailash is a mountain peak located near Manasarovar lake in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and is considered holy by the Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva. It also holds religious significance for Jains and Buddhists. The Kailash Mansarovar yatra, one of the toughest pilgrimages in the world, draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.